Original stories eclipse SEO-driven content

The Future. Because chatbots generate search results without the need to click through to an article, they could potentially absorb some of online publishers’ search-driven traffic. If digital media companies want to thrive during the generative AI revolution, they might consider an editorial shift, prioritizing original stories over SEO-driven content.

Don’t go chasing clicksLifestyle publishers like Bustle Digital Group (BDG) and Leaf Group are building direct relationships with their audiences, making them less dependent on external referral traffic.

  • BDG will spotlight “relatable, humorous, shared experiences [and] advice.” It’ll invest more in original visual content, interviews, profiles, and feature stories, while producing more short-form videos for social media.

  • Leaf Group’s home design site Hunker will focus on content that shows writers’ “taste, opinion, expertise, and point of view.”

SEO might be overGenerative AI produces search-based stories faster and cheaper than human beings who are paid to write them. So, companies are moving their resources into content that a chatbot can’t duplicate — like events, newsletters, and personal takes.

This bodes well for creative people who dread writing for SEO.

Still, AI adoption is a relatively new concept. The best strategy might be no strategy until publishers know how AI will impact their site traffic… and their bottom line.

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